


Labor of Love

by bjfic_archivist



Category: Queer as Folk (US)
Genre: Alternate Universe, BDSM, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-02-06
Updated: 2007-04-01
Packaged: 2018-12-26 20:57:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 21,476
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12066849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bjfic_archivist/pseuds/bjfic_archivist
Summary: Justin Taylor, 24, is an uptight young man with control issues and emotional detachment.  When his friend suggests that he go to a S&M resort to face his demons, what happens?





	1. Day 1

**Author's Note:**

> Note from IrishCaelan, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Brian/Justin Fanfiction Archive](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Brian_Justin_Fanfiction_Archive). To preserve the archive, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in September 2017. I posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [The Brian/Justin Fanfiction Archive collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/bjfic/profile).

  
Author's notes:

This is a BDSM fic. 

Thanks to Rena and Alex for their help and support of this story. 

* * *

 

Location: Master Kinney's Quarters 

I shivered as I felt the cold draft dancing upon my skin, eliciting goosebumps. At the moment though, I was thankful to just feel something, anything. It helped to distract my mind from the nervousness, the anticipation... the fear. 

I remember being told once that if one of your five senses was gone the other four would become stronger to compensate for the lost one. That night I found out first hand that it's true. My four remaining senses were hypersensitive, and things that I never paid much attention to were now calling out to me, magnified. I heard the soft roar of the waves of the ocean, and the whisper of the wind blowing outside and sending a soothing ocean breeze against my back. I tasted the salty droplets of sweat above my upper lip. I smelled a strong combination of salty air and what I guessed was a bonfire burning just outside. 

As I listened to the wind blowing through the trees outside, I shivered once again as the cool, night air surrounded my naked body. Other than the wind, the only sound in the room was my slightly shallow breathing. I felt beads of sweat rolling down the sides of my face and from other various parts of my body. 

I couldn't move. I couldn't see. It was humiliating and I was terrified, and was sure that He could smell my fear. I was doing my best to put up a brave front, but of course I knew He was no idiot. He was very much aware how fucking terrified I was. I could almost see Him smirking at me in my mind. "Fucker. He's probably giving me that look right now," I thought. Of course there was no way to tell since I couldn't see shit.

In a million years, I would have never thought it possible to end up where I was. I mean, someone like me? I wasn't into that shit. BDSM was for kinky freaks. Kinky or freaky were definitely not traits of mine in the bedroom. Sure, I'd had boyfriends who'd wanted to try some things, but I'd always shied away from it. It made me uncomfortable to put that kind of trust into someone and give up control. 

That was why as I stood there, my arms and feet spread and restrained, I was wracking my brain, trying to figure out why the hell I had ever agreed to go to the fucking island. What had I been thinking? Better yet, when I had the chance to leave, why did I let myself get talked into staying and giving this place a chance?

I was working hard to suppress a groan. My arms which were each hanging on either side of me by chains from the ceiling, were aching from being in the same position for so long. It had been okay for the first 20 minutes, but after staying in that same position for what had to have been at least an hour, I could feel the burn and strain in the muscles of my arms and shoulders.

_Where is he?_ I wondered. 

My mind began to wander and I thought back to when this whole thing began. It seemed so long ago, when in fact it was only about 3 months earlier.....

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

3 MONTHS EARLIER....

I sat and stared blankly ahead on my bed, surrounded by a cloud of smoke, with my back against the headboard and my knees up with my arms resting on them. Cigarette in one hand, a glass of Jack Daniels in the other, I was a fucking fall down mess. I sat there and thought about how fucked up my life was as I sucked on the filter of my cigarette. I'd been chain smoking for the last 3 hours. 

I'd come home exhausted from a long day at the studio. The shoot had gone well but had taken a lot longer than I'd anticipated. It was just after 9:00pm and I was tired and hungry. I'd skipped both lunch and dinner. It was quiet when I'd entered my apartment, but I wasn't surprised. It was Friday night, and I knew Dylan was probably out at Woody's with some friends. 

I walked into the kitchen to see what I could scrounge up for dinner, and that's when I saw the note on the refrigerator. It was nothing out of the ordinary, since that was the place we'd frequently left notes for each other. Usually though, they were just short notes, and I got a nervous feeling in my stomach as my eyes scanned the length of his note. When I saw that the first words were "I'm sorry", my heart jumped into my throat and I knew it was over. I held back tears as I read the letter. 

_Justin -_

_I'm sorry, I can't do this anymore. I know we said we'd try, but I'm tired of doing all the compromising while you're still unwilling to change. In order for it to work, both people have to make the effort. I'd hoped things would work out for us, but I know now that it's not going to happen._

_I've met someone who makes me happy and I feel I owe it to myself to give a relationship with him a chance. I can only hope that one day you'll find the right person and that you'll be happy. I'm sorry that I couldn't be that person for you._

_I've left a check for half the rent and the utilities inside the mailbox. I still have a few things I need to pick up, but I'll come by to get them while you're at the studio on Monday._

_Take care of yourself, Justin._

_Dylan_

It felt as if I'd been punched in the stomach. My relationship with Dylan had been the longest one I'd ever had. I have to admit though, all the time I was with him, I knew Dylan wasn't the love of my life. 

It was hard to really say what my feelings for Dylan were. I cared about him a lot, and probably loved him, but I knew that it wasn't the kind of love that I'd witnessed in observing my friends' or family's relationships; the kind of love that I'd envied and hoped to have one day. Dylan wasn't the love of my life, but he was a good guy, and things with him were comfortable. 

I knew that Dylan was right to leave. He had put up with a lot. He'd been so patient and willing to try with me. I supposed though, that there is only so much a person can take before it gets to be too much.

I had known he was unhappy those last few months. We'd fought a lot during that time, and because of my fear of losing him and ending up alone, I'd told him that I would try to change, and even agreed to see a therapist as he'd suggested, but on account of my business suddenly boosting up, that promise had kind of been set on the back burner. I'd been spending a lot of hours at the studio, which didn't leave much time to work on my relationship with Dylan or my issues, and I ended up never getting around to seeing that therapist. 

I won't lie -- I wasn't thrilled about going to see a shrink, and at first, had purposely put it off. The last thing I'd wanted was some stranger analyzing me and telling me how I should live my life. But being in that frame of mind only screwed me – and not in a positive life-affirming way. 

After reading the "Dear John" letter from Dylan, I stood there in the kitchen for a while, just staring at the it, and let my emotions run through me. Feeling hurt and angry, I crumpled the paper into a ball and tossed it into the trash bin. My appetite now dissipated, I went to the liquor cabinet in hopes that a few drinks would help to numb the pain enough for me to get some sleep. I was grateful that I didn't have anything scheduled at the studio the next day. I grabbed a bottle of Jack Daniels and my smokes, and carried them to the bedroom, the empty bedroom. That's where I remained for the next three hours. 

I continued drinking and smoking and thinking until the next thing I knew, I was waking up to the sun shining through my eyelids, with the world's worst hangover, and a horrible taste in my mouth. When I opened my eyes I could barely lift my head. Feeling disoriented, I turned expecting to see Dylan, but instead only found an overflowing ashtray of cigarette butts and and a bottle of Jack Daniels that was almost empty, laying in his place.

"Dylan?" I called out, causing a shooting pain throughout my head from the vibrations of my vocal chords. I winced and held my head as I sat up in bed. 

The apartment was deathly quiet. My eyes were dry and itchy, and I rubbed them before looking around the room. Something seemed really off, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. As I sat there a moment trying to gather my head together, I looked around the bedroom once more, and immediately noticed that the acoustic guitar that always rested on its stand near the dresser was missing. I blinked and frowned, and then swung my feet over the side of the bed. I looked down, and saw that the stupid free weights – the ones that I'd always yelled at Dylan at for leaving in a place where I could step on them, were missing as well. A thorough scan around the room and seeing none of Dylan's things, caused the events of the night before to come rushing back, and then I remembered the cold, true, reality; I'd fucked up, Dylan had left me, and once again I was alone. 

I sighed and laid back down in bed and closed my eyes, just wanting to sink into my dreams and sleep my sorrow away. I was just about crawl under the covers and do exactly that, when I heard someone knocking on my door. I hit my forehead with the palm of my hand in aggravation. The last thing I wanted was to have company, so I tried my best to ignore it. 

"Justin, are you there?" Ben's voice called through the door. Being the persistent shit he is, I knew that Ben would keep knocking until I answered, and I sighed in defeat as I dragged myself out of bed to open the door. 

More knocking. "Justin!" he called out again, and as soon as I got to the door I flung it open, giving my best friend an irritated look. 

"Shit, you know, I bet you could wake the dead if you wanted," I glared at him. He immediately gave me a concerned look.

"You look like shit," he said, taking in my appearance. 

"Thanks." I stepped aside to let him in. "What are you doing here?" I asked, walking into the kitchen to start the coffee machine. 

"We had plans for lunch, remember?" 

A sudden dawn of recognition hit me, and I ran my fingers through my tussled hair. "Shit. I'm sorry, I forgot." 

Ben shrugged. "Don't worry about it. What's going on?" he asked, his face still having that concerned look. He sat in one of the barstool chairs and briefly looked around. "Where's Dylan? At the gym or something?" 

I plopped myself down on the barstool next to Ben and leaned forward with my elbows on the counter. "Dylan... left me." 

Ben gave me a shocked look. "What?" 

I nodded. "I came home late from the studio last night and found a note from him on the fridge saying that he was tired of making all the effort in our relationship and he's met someone else. The note's in the trash if you want to read it." 

Ben wrapped his arms around me. "Justin, I'm so sorry." 

Regrettably, I felt tears spring to my eyes; which was something that only Ben was privy to on occasions such as this. I didn't allow my emotions to be seen by anyone else if I could help it. My father had always said that tears were a sign of weakness, so from a young age, I had been used to holding them back. 

"Ben... God, I really fucked this one up good," I told him, feeling a few tears gently fall. 

"Shhh, stop. You can't take all the blame for this. No one is perfect. I'm sure Dylan didn't always do the right thing in this relationship."

"He sure seemed to think so." 

"He was wrong."

I shook my head at my friend. "No, he was right. I knew what I needed to do to try to make things better between us and I didn't do them, and now he's gone."

Ben nodded and sighed. "You know, I believe everything happens for a reason. Maybe it just wasn't meant to be for the two of you. I'm sure you'll find someone else, someone who's right for you. You'll see," Ben said encouragingly. 

I gave him a doubtful look. "Maybe my father was right. As a gay man, maybe it's unrealistic to believe that I could ever be in a real, solid relationship." 

Ben huffed at that statement. "That's bullshit. We know plenty of gay men and women who are in steady relationships." 

"Yeah, but most of them don't last," I reminded him. 

"Your father only said that because he wishes you weren't gay, Justin. He wants you to be straight and settle down and marry some beautiful young woman so he can consider you 'normal'."

"Yeah, well, he also wanted me to go to Dartmouth and study business, but I didn't do that." 

"Exactly. You know better than to listen to the bullshit your father spews."

I gave him a small smile. "All right, I get your point." 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

All the events leading up to how I got to the island, continued to run through my mind as I shivered in the darkness. 

Ben, and his damn logic. Sure, he was my best friend, but now I was really starting to ask myself why I had ever listened to him in the first place. 

Why was I here? Could I handle what was about to come my way? Would I break? Would I cry? Beg? Worst of all... would I LIKE it? 

_Fuck, Ben. Why did I let you talk me into this?_ I cursed to myself, and thought about how I came to know about this place... 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Justin, you need to get yourself out of this slump; it's not healthy," Ben pleaded for the millionth time in the last two weeks. 

I looked at my friend and put my hand on his shoulder. "Ben, you know I love you, so don't take this the wrong way... Fuck off." 

He sighed and gave me that look that said he was feeling sorry for me. God, I hated that look. "I understand you're hurting, Justin, I really do. But you need to move on. He's not worth wasting your life away." 

I took a drag from my cigarette and kept my eyes down at my fidgeting hands, sitting in front of me. "I know. I'm sorry for being such a drag. It's just that on top of all this shit with Dylan, work has really been stressing me out too," I admitted, running a hand through my hair. 

"Maybe what you need is some time off." 

"No. Time off would just make me think about everything more. This way, at least work keeps me busy."

"Look, there is one suggestion I wanted to run by you..." he paused and gave a hesitant look. "But, I want you to promise to listen to me and keep an open mind about it before you say anything, okay?"

"Okay, I'm listening." 

"There's this island that my cousin Jeff goes to every year that he says helps him to wind down. It's something that he swears by. He says it takes him away from all the stresses at home and just allows him to relax and be himself. He stays for two months, and when he leaves he feels happy, rejuvenated, more self assuring and even peaceful." 

"Are you saying that I should take a vacation to this island?" I admit I was intrigued by the idea. It kind of sounded nice to be on some tropical island right about then, soaking up the rays; maybe getting a daily massage by some hot, muscular guy...

"Well, it's not exactly a vacation," Ben said, his face showing hesitancy again.

I gave him a confused look. "Okay, so if it's not a vacation, what the hell does he do there?" I asked and took a drink of my iced tea.

"It's an island off of Costa Rica called La Isla Erotica. It's an S&M gay resort," Ben explained. 

The iced tea I was drinking suddenly went down the wrong pipe and I immediately started coughing. "Shit, are you okay?" Ben asked, slapping my back. 

Once I got my breath back I looked at him incredulously. "You want me to go to an S&M resort?! Are you fucking insane?" 

Ben frowned. "You agreed to listen with an open mind, Justin."

I laughed at him. "This is a bit extreme, don't you think? You know that sort of thing is way out of my boundaries. It's creepy... I'm just not into that," I told him. 

"Neither was Jeff, but he was going through a difficult time and at a suggestion of a friend of his, he finally decided to go to the island. That was 5 years ago, and he's gone back every year since then." 

I shook my head at him. "I can't believe you'd even think I'd consider it." 

"Okay, how about this." Ben started jotting something down on a nearby notepad. "Give it some thought, and I'll leave Jeff's number for you in case you have some questions about it." 

I supposed there was no harm in Ben leaving his cousin's number, and if that's what it took to have him drop this ridiculous idea of his, then so be it, I thought. "Fine," I agreed, thinking the number would end up in the trash by the end of the day. 

Ben smiled at me and then left, leaving me alone with my thoughts and with that phone number just sitting there, waiting for me satisfy my curiosity and dial it. After two days of eying it, and passing it every time I walked to the kitchen, I finally gave in. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

When I called Jeff, he didn't seem at all surprised to hear from me, and was enthusiastic about talking to me about the resort, but insisted that we meet in person to discuss it. We agreed to meet at the Liberty Diner.

I remember being a little taken back by Jeff's strong resemblance to Ben as I saw him waiting for me in a booth at the diner. He smiled as he stood up and reached out to shake my hand. 

"You must be Justin." 

I nodded and shook his hand. "Yeah. Wow, you and Ben could be brothers," I smiled back, looking him over. Jeff was very attractive. Like Ben, he was tall, with sandy blond hair, and had a muscular build. His eyes were a beautiful emerald green.

"That's what they tell us," Jeff laughed. "Apparently we both inherited our grandfather's genes. Don't be fooled though. We may look alike, but we are very different. Ben was always the 'good twin,' or so everyone used to say," he grinned.

I laughed, liking Jeff right away. While observing him, I noticed that also like Ben, he was butch looking; one of those guys that you wouldn't guess was gay unless they told you or you were around them long enough to pick up on it. 

As I looked at him, it was hard for me to picture this guy on his knees as an obedient slave. He seemed like a total "top", like he would have been the one calling all the shots. I knew I wouldn't have minded to be beneath him, that was for sure!

"I know what you're wondering," he said, interrupting my thoughts and giving me a small smile. "Whether I'm the Dom or sub, right?

I gave him a sheepish smile. "The thought crossed my mind." 

"Well, what most people would probably be surprised to know, is that I'm versatile. It's true that in my every day life here in Pittsburgh, I'm mostly a top; that's the role I feel most comfortable in when I'm home, save for once in a while when I feel the urge to satisfy that itch needing to be scratched," he gave me a mischievous smile that made my dick twitch in my pants, then continued his explanation. 

"But when I go to the Island, the whole purpose of being there is to let go and be free to express this whole other part of myself that just 5 years ago, I had no idea existed. Even after all this time, there's still a lot to discover – and every year I come home knowing more about myself. Being at the island is really the only time I can fully let go and allow someone else to take care of me and give me what I need." 

"Are you always in the role as a slave when you go to this resort?" 

"Yes, but that has always been my choice. I have been trained in the roles of both the Master and the slave. That is something that is recommended, because really, the truth remains that people often find that things they never thought they would be into turn out to be deep desires within themselves that they never knew existed. The Island gives you a chance to explore that in yourself and decide which is better for you. In my case, I found out early on that being the slave felt more like a safe haven to me than being a master, and since coming to that realization, I've chosen to maintain that role when I go to the island." 

My mind was buzzing with questions, but just as I was about to say something, Debbie came over to take our order.

"You boys ready to order?" she asked with a bright smile and a smack of her gum. 

As Jeff ordered his food, Debbie frowned at him. "Christ, a small animal couldn't live off what you eat! You're as bad as Brian!" she accused. 

"And that's why we both happen to be very healthy men with hot bods," he smiled. Debbie rolled her eyes. 

"Now you're starting to sound like him," she muttered, shaking her head before turning her attention toward me. "And how about you, Sunshine? What'll it be?" she asked.

Jeff gave a small laugh and shook his head after Debbie had left to put in our orders. "Gotta love her." 

"Who's Brian?" 

"Oh, he's sort of like Debbie's surrogate son. He and her son Michael were best friends growing up. He doesn't really spend much time in the Pitts though, anymore. He's too busy with his businesses." 

"Businesses?" I asked. 

Jeff nodded and took a sip of his water. "He's the owner of a very popular advertising firm, and has expanded to two other locations; and he also has another business on the side. So he's a pretty busy man." 

"Oh," I nodded, and my mind wandered back to the questions I had for Jeff. He looked at me and seemed to be studying my expression. 

"Is there something on your mind, Justin?" 

I chuckled. "Perceptive, too. Are you sure you and Ben aren't the same person?" I teased. 

He laughed. "Not the last time I checked." 

"Did he tell you about what happened with my ex, Dylan?"

"He told me that your boyfriend left you." 

"What else did he tell you about me?" I wondered out loud.

"He said that you're his best friend, and that he cares about you a lot, but that you have a lot of issues that keep you from being happy with yourself and in your relationships, which is why he thinks you might be interested in going to the island."

"Great," I mumbled. 

"Is he wrong?" 

I thought about that, and heard the conflicting voices in my head. 

_Wrong? Wrong about what? That I'm some weak little twink that couldn't keep a relationship together if my life depended on it? That there's always seemed to be a big part of myself that was missing, no matter how happy I'd convinced myself I was for what little period of time it occurred?_

"Not exactly, but... I mean, I just don't know what that has to do with going to this island – 'La Isla whatever-the-fuck' he told me about. I don't really understand why he seems to think that getting into the BDSM scene might help me." 

Jeff nodded. "It is perfectly understandable why you would wonder about that, and of course it's not 100% guaranteed that it will help, but most people find that it does make them feel more grounded; more in control."

Debbie returned to our table and set our food down in front of us. "Enjoy, boys!" she smiled, and winked at us before heading off to her other customers. 

Conversation was light as we ate, which I was grateful for, because it gave me time to think over everything Jeff had told me. He seemed to know that I was absorbing things, and remained quiet. Frankly, I was a little surprised that he wasn't trying to convince me to go to the island. He answered questions when I asked. He didn't try to push anything, and he hadn't judged me either.

I had just finished my pie when Jeff looked at his watch. "Well, Justin, I'm sorry, but I've got to run. I have an appointment." 

"Oh, right. Um, thanks for... well, everything I guess," I smiled shyly.

"It was my pleasure," he smiled back. 

I reached for my wallet in my back pocket to pay the bill, and he put his hand out. 

"No, don't even think about it. I asked you to meet me here. Lunch is on me," he insisted, grabbing the bill on the table before I could. I smiled and nodded at him, knowing it was useless arguing with him. 

We both stood up then. "If you have more questions, you can call me anytime."

I nodded. "Thanks, I might take you up on that." 

"All right. Later," he smiled again, and then walked to the counter and caught Debbie's attention. I watched as he handed her some money and then kissed her cheek, causing Debbie to beam at him and blush a little. 

As I watched him walk out of the diner, I grinned to myself. Jeff was definitely hot. He seemed like a really great person, too. I knew though that he wasn't really my type – or rather I wasn't _his_. I definitely didn't see myself as someone who could dominate him or take care of him like he needed. Too bad, I thought, as I shook my head. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I felt my palms sweating as I sat nervously in my chair and waited. 

"Nice camera," I commented, noticing the top of the line equipment being set up by a tall man with tattoos all over his arms. 

He looked at me briefly and nodded. "Mm hmm," the man grumbled, and went about what he was doing. I wanted to tell him that he would get a much better shot if he moved the angle of the camera a bit differently, but something told me that I should keep my opinions to myself this time. 

Not able to keep myself from sitting still, I stood up to walk around the room. I took a sip of the bottled water that had been provided to me when I'd first arrived at the office, and observed the room, noting the nice furniture and artwork on the wall. 

I was a bit startled when I heard my name being called. 

"Justin Taylor?" a man with dark hair asked, coming into the room. He appeared to be in his 30s. 

"Uh, yeah. Hi," I said with an awkward smile, and shook the offered hand. 

"I'm Ted, Ted Schmidt. "Have a seat," he said, gesturing to the chair I'd been sitting in before. 

"Are we ready to go?" Ted asked the cameraman. 

"Yep. Just say when," the man replied. 

"When," Ted said, and gave a small chuckle before he sat down in a chair behind a desk and pulled out a file and laid it in front of him. He opened it, and started shuffling through some papers in the file. After a few moments he spoke but kept his eyes focused on the papers in front of him. 

"So, Justin Taylor, age 25..." he paused and then looked up at me. 

"That's right." 

Ted nodded. "It says here that you're a photographer and an artist. You graduated from PIFA? I'm impressed. Here at Kinnetic, we have students from PIFA whom intern for us. It's a very difficult school to get into. You must be very talented." 

I felt my face start to blush. "I've been told," I smiled. 

"Okay, Mr. Taylor, I'm going to ask you a series of questions, and even though some of them may be difficult or seem embarrassing, I just want you to answer me as honestly as you can. All right?" 

I felt the butterflies in my stomach start to flutter. This whole scene sort of reminded me of the first time I went to the clinic to get tested for HIV. The smiley man who had taken my blood had warned me he would be asking some questions that might make me feel embarrassed or uncomfortable, but insisted that I answer honestly. 

I shook my head yes. "Okay. But please call me Justin."

Ted smiled. "Of course. So Justin, how did you hear about our resort?"

"A friend of a friend has been going to your resort for the last five years."

I watched as Ted was jotting down some notes on a legal pad. 

"On your application you marked that you have no previous experience with BD/SM. Why do you think that La Isla Erotica is a place you'd be interested in going to?"

I took a deep breath and shook my head. "I'm not sure, exactly. It was recommended to me, and when I spoke to my friend about it, there were some things he said to me, that made me believe that maybe this could be something that would help me to get over some issues I've had," I said softly and kept my eyes trained on my hands.

Ted seemed to be looking over my application again. 

"You mention in here that your last boyfriend left you and that was part of the reason for your decision to submit an application to our resort. Could you tell me a little about that?"

I suddenly felt really uncomfortable. "Um..." I nervously ran my fingers through my hair and looked down. "I knew it was my fault." 

Ted gave me a confused look. "You think you could you elaborate?"

"My relationship with Dylan had been going downhill for a while before he left. We often fought over the fact that he thinks that I am too uptight. He always said that I wasn't willing to be spontaneous or take chances." Ted went back to scribbling some notes as I spoke. 

"When it came to our sex life he said that I was a good lover but that he wished that I would be more open. I guess I'm not very adventurous," I admitted, feeling myself blush. 

Ted gave me a small smile and somehow it felt comforting. "And in your sexual relationships, would you say that you're mostly dominant, subservient, or both?" 

"Um..." I paused, feeling my face turn red. "I mean, I'm versatile, but I guess I feel more comfortable being a 'top'. I don't know if that's what you mean..." 

"Would you say that your personality is more dominant or subservient?" he asked.

I shrugged my shoulders, not really knowing how to answer the question. "I've never really thought about it. I guess I'm not that great at making decisions, so maybe that would mean that I'm more subservient in that aspect." 

"Hmm, okay," Ted said, and scribbled some more notes. He looked up at me after a moment and smiled again. "All right, now for the big questions..."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Two months later I was on a ship with the other applicants on my way to La Isla Erotica, just off the coast of Costa Rica. I was nervous as Hell and had no idea what to expect. When I saw Jeff there, it made me feel a little better. He was laughing and talking with another man, obviously someone he'd met one of his other times he'd been to the Island. When Jeff saw me he gave me a reassuring smile, and amazingly, I felt less nervous. I knew from the look he was giving me that he was inviting me to go over there and join them, but I wasn't really feeling like I wanted to be around anyone, so I just nodded in acknowledgment, and walked around the ship for a while. 

I saw a lot of handsome men, most of whom I could tell worked out daily. Some of the men were dressed casually, others more conservatively, and we definitely had some label queens among us. Some of these men didn't look like they would be into the scene – but then again I'm sure I looked out of place to them. I wondered what they thought when they looked at me. 

Some of the men looked very confident, and I assumed those were the men that had been to the Island before and knew what to expect. A couple of guys came over to me and tried to strike up a conversation – or hit on me, whichever it was – and I politely shunned them away. I've kind of always been uncomfortable around people -- especially strangers, which was why the very idea of coming to this place was insane for me. It was hard for me to believe I was actually going through with it.

There was a small orientation just explaining some rules and what was to go on for the next few days until we got to the island, and were also told we'd be given more detailed information privately when we were given our lab results.

In the meantime, I kind of kept to myself, mostly staying in my little cabin, sketching or reading. I had been in my quarters sitting on my bunk, thinking and anticipating the weeks ahead, when I heard a knock on the door. Before I could answer, a man entered the room. Startled by a stranger barging into my room, I jumped a little and wondered what was going on. 

"Mr. Taylor?" the man asked. He was handsome, tall, muscular, and had a buzzed cut.

"Do you guys always just barge in like that, whenever you want?" I asked. 

He only smiled at me. "My name is Kevin. I'm here to give you your lab results and to go over some guidelines and rules. I'll also tell you a little bit about what to expect when we arrive at the Island," he explained, and got out his clip board and looked down at the information in front of him. 

"Well, Mr. Taylor, you're HIV negative, and your blood shows no traces of any other STDs," he told me.

"Good to know." 

"Yes, it is," he smiled. "All right. Now, we have a few other things to go over. The first thing you need to know is that we have a full staff who have all been professionally trained in the art of BDSM. They will be referred to as your 'Superiors'. They are in charge of your every move until it's decided otherwise. Do you understand that, Mr. Taylor?" asked Kevin, sternly.

I nodded.

"Good. As long as you understand your place, we won't have any problems." 

"Okay, we're going to go over some rules. The first one being very important," he said, and paused as he looked at me.

I looked at him curiously and waited.

"From this point on, you are to refrain from masturbating." 

I raised a brow at him. "Excuse, me?"

"Master Kinney's rules. You're not to touch yourself in any sexual way unless instructed by a Superior or your Master. Are we clear on that?" 

I nodded. "Yeah."

"The second rule is, you're to be in uniform at all times, unless instructed otherwise by a Superior or your Master," Kevin told me, and pulled out a thin little black leather thong from his bag he had brought with him.

"THAT thing is the uniform?" I laughed. "You've got to be joking," I said incredulously. I'd never in my life owned or wore a thong, let alone a leather thong. 

"Afraid not. You're to wear this at all times. Your regular clothes and possessions will be collected from me now and will be stored in a safe place until you leave the Island." By Kevin's expression, I could see that he was dead serious.

"That's just great," I said, dully.

"Next, just so you're somewhat aware of what's going on, let me explain a few things to you. When we arrive there will be some guests awaiting us. Master Kinney will come out, and then everyone except for the Superiors will line up on stage to be introduced to our guests so that they can get an idea about whom they might like to pair up with on their stay here, once the training period is finished."

I gave him a confused look. _Training? What sort of training?_ I wondered. 

"Of course the more experienced members won't go through extensive training – just what we call 'back track' training, which is basically a refresher's course to just get the juices running again so to speak, and bring back the familiarity of it all. A lot of our members don't practice BDSM the rest of the year, so it's a way of getting them back into the mindset of it. That usually only lasts anywhere from one to three days, depending on how many times you've been to the Island or how experienced in the BDSM scene you are," Kevin explained. 

I nodded. "And what about those of us who have never done this sort of thing? How long is our training?" 

"The new members will all be in extensive training until whomever you're assigned to decides if and when you're ready to be a sub or Master to one of our guests. Usually the extensive training lasts about 3 weeks, or depending on how fast you learn. The final decision though, is always Master Kinney's."

A panic started to raise in me. "So what you're is saying is, eventually I'm going to be handed off to some stranger for his pleasure?" 

The man laughed. "Well, yeah, that's pretty much the point... but also know that all pairings are by mutual consent. We want everyone to be happy with whom they're playing with."

"So you're saying that if someone wants me and I don't want them, I don't have to go with them?" 

"That's correct. Always by mutual consent," he smiled. "We want everyone to enjoy their experience and come back. Keep in mind also, that you probably won't only be with the same person the whole time you're here. Sometimes there are couples who come here to relax and play and just want a boy for the night or a couple of days. Other guests might want you for the majority of their stay or possibly their whole stay. It's also possible that you won't be assigned to a guest at all. In that case, you'll still be serving the Superiors for their pleasure." 

"Um... what about boundaries?" I asked nervously. 

"We have strict rules on this island. Of course there are limits. It's our policy to make sure that everyone is safe and protected. You'll be getting a print-out of all the restrictions, and if or when you meet your sub or Master partner you will both sign contracts before you proceed with anything."

"Oh," I said, feeling a little better. 

"So... what exactly is it that you do here?" 

He smiled at me before answering. "Although I'm very familiar with the scene, I'm not a trainer. I'm more of a supervisor. My role is to keep things in order and make sure things are running smoothly, and to address any problems or concerns that may come up," he answered. 

Of course my mind shifted to possible scenarios of why Kevin might have to be called... medical emergencies such as accidental injuries were the first things to pop into my head. My nervousness was growing the more I thought about the whole thing. What I was thinking must have been written all over my face, because suddenly Kevin laughed and gave me a knowing look. 

"I think Master Kinney may find you amusing."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After Kevin had taken my clothes and anything else I'd wastefully packed, my self consciousness settled in as I sat on my bunk only wearing a tiny leather thong. I wondered if I'd ever get used to it. I never could understand how someone would choose a thong over regular, comfortable underwear. Not to mention, my skin was as pale as a ghost. I'd been so busy with work all the way up to the time I was scheduled to get on the ship, that I hadn't even had time to think about trying to get some color on my white ass before I left. 

Kevin had given me a robe, but it was very light and almost sheer. I wondered what the hell the point was of even having one, but as I held it in my hands and stared at it, I decided it was better than nothing.

When we reached land, I was instructed to leave my room and follow the rest of the members in a single file line off the ship. Everyone was clad in the same robes. Once we were outside I was in awe of how beautiful it was! The sky had never looked more blue, and the sand was so white and looked as though it had crystals in it. The area had tons of large palm trees. I'd seen the water when I was on the ship, but when I saw everything together, the whole picture, it was simply breathtaking, and just made it all so fucking fantastic and awesome. It was paradise. I wished that they hadn't taken my camera from me. I wanted to photograph and paint everything in sight. 

I was so much in my own world for a few moments that I'd almost forgotten what had brought me to the Island in the first place, that is, until I heard a strong voice yelling, "Hello, everyone, I'm Emmett, and I'd like to welcome you all to La Isla Erotica! Now, everyone stay in a single file line and follow me!" The tall, rather flamboyant man led us across the beach, muttering a few comments to some of the men in front of the line. 

I guessed that maybe there were probably over 50 members altogether as I followed in line to this very large tent and into a side entrance that led to a back stage. 

"What's going on?" I heard the lean, red-headed man standing in front of me ask in a low tone. 

The tall blond standing in front of him only shrugged his shoulders. "It's my first time here too," he whispered back. 

We were all standing on a large back stage area. We could see there were people in the audience out there laughing and talking amongst each other as they waited. I guessed that these were the "guests" that Kevin had told me to expect. 

We all waited around for several minutes. A lot of the men were quietly talking to each other. Some of them seemed to have their adrenaline pumping through their veins and looked excited. Others looked a little nervous or curious. I just stayed quiet, as I peeked out at the audience while a million thoughts ran through my mind. I started to feel nervous to the point of losing my lunch. I had never liked being the center of attention. At that moment, I saw Jeff again, and his eyes met mine. He smiled at me, and once again, I felt myself relax a little.

The man named Emmett started clapping his hands at us to get our attention. 

"Okay, listen up! This is what's going to happen. I'm going to be announcing Master Kinney's arrival and then shortly after that, I'll be calling you all one by one, to introduce you. Once I call your name, you're to go out on the stage and remove your robe to show 'em all what you've got."

There was a murmur amongst the men, and Emmett smiled at us widely and put his hand up to shush us. "Okay, important things to remember, gentlemen. When I've finished your intro, you're to step off the stage and go down steps and continue down the red carpet that leads to where Master Kinney is seated. Once there, you're to drop down to you knees and kiss his feet. You're not to say anything to him unless he speaks to you first. No eye contact, and keep your head low." 

Most of the men nodded in understanding. My heart was beating fast, and I thought for sure I was going to be sick. This place seemed like a freak show!

"Are you okay? You don't look so good," a handsome guy with a Spanish accent asked me in a hushed tone. 

"I – I can't do this. I think I've made a mistake..."

"Well, it's too late now. The ship already left," he explained, and patted my shoulder. "Looks like you don't have a choice."

"We always have a choice," I frowned. "And I'm going the fuck home. I don't care who I have to talk to or what I have to do." 

"You know, this place is not so bad. This is my second time being here. You should give it a try, my friend," he told me. Then unexpectedly I felt a slap on my ass. "It's worth it," he purred. 

I looked at him in surprise, but before I could say or do anything about it, I heard Emmett's voice on a loud speaker. 

"Hello, Gents, and Gents! Welcome to La Isla Erotica!"

I felt the pit of my stomach drop as I heard the cheering and whistling from the men in the audience. 

"My name is Emmett Honeycutt, or some of you may have previously known me as 'Honey'." More cheers, whistles and cat calls were heard again., and a man shouted something that sounded like 'Hell, yeah, Baby!" 

"Thanks, sugar," he laughed. "Well, in case you didn't hear, I'm no longer a member, I'm an employee now... but just so you know, my door is always open for some playtime after hours," he said with a wink.

There was more cheering and a couple of shouts of invitations by various men in the audience.

"All right, let's get the fun started! We are so very pleased to have you all here. And to give you a heads up... my, my, do we have some fine looking morsels here this year!" he grinned widely, and the audience clapped. "– and some fresh meat too," Emmett added, which produced more hollering and cheering. 

Christ! These men were like animals in heat! I wrapped my robe impossibly tighter around myself, determined that I was going to be on a plane back home by that night no matter what.

"But before we bring out our members, pun intended... I present to you, our King of this Island, Master Kinney!"

There was an eruption of applause and everyone in the whole place had their eyes glued on the beautiful man with auburn hair whom entered the room riding in a small black buggy, which was physically being pulled by two large, muscular men in leather vests and shorts.

I was mesmerized by how fucking hot Master Kinney was. He was wearing a black speedo with a matching silk black robe that hung open to reveal his body. I could see his every muscle and curve on his golden sun-kissed skin. 

One of the leather clad men walked around and got down on his hands and knees so that Master Kinney could use his back as a step to get out of the buggy. Master Kinney was tall, and had carried himself in a self-assured and proud manner. I felt my cock stir, and almost forgot my determination of going home. 

_Almost_. 

I watched as he walked over to a very comfortable looking sofa and sat down. He snapped his fingers at the second man in leather who seemed to already know what he wanted, and immediately got out a pack of cigarettes from his leather vest pocket and handed one to Master Kinney, and then lit it for him. Master Kinney took a long drag, exhaled the smoke, and relaxed into the sofa, before nodding. 

"Bring them out."

He looked completely at ease and confident, as he gazed around the room, seemingly scoping out the guests in the audience. I saw him smirk as he noticed some of the men salivating over him. 

I was brought out of my daze, when I heard some sort of electronic trance type of music start pumping through large speakers, and Emmett's voice was once again on the loud speaker. 

"As I said, lots of hotties up in here this time around! Let's bring them out!" he shouted, which brought on a huge applause. 

"Our first member is no stranger to this island. He's 27 years old, and comes from New York. He's a computer techie by day, and wild boy by night... let's hear it for 'Fox'!"

The guests cheered and whistled as a tall, dark haired man with blue eyes and amazing abs shed his robe on stage and turned so everyone could admire his body. He smiled and winked at some of the men before gracefully running down he steps, and followed the red carpet to where Master Kinney was sitting on his sofa. 

Fox immediately dropped to his knees submissively and kissed Master Kinney's right bare foot, and then actually gave it a little lick. Master Kinney smiled his approval, and leaned over and whispered something into the man's ear while affectionately running his hands through the man's dark hair, as if he were a pet being acknowledged for his good deed. I saw Fox's cock get hard through his already too-tiny thong, and wondered what Master Kinney had whispered. 

Fox stood up, and kept his eyes low and then walked over to an area of empty chairs off to the side, where all the members were to sit.

"Seems our 'Fox' is more than ready to get started – no surprise there!" Emmett said, causing some of the audience to chuckle. 

"Next, we have another fairly experienced member from California. He's an electrician definitely lookin' to light up your stay on the island! Here's Puck!" Emmett exclaimed. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the cheesiness of these introductions.

Puck moved his hips to the music as he walked on stage, and then threw his robe to the side, smiling confidently. He was medium height, with sandy blond hair and brown eyes. He wasn't too muscular, but toned enough to appreciate his body. Puck started dancing a bit to the music, showing off some dance moves as well as some of his best assets.

I was getting more and more nervous, but knew I had a ways to go before Emmett would call me to the stage, since he was going in alphabetical order (according to our real last names). I continued to watch as one by one, another man was introduced on stage. None of them appeared to be very nervous. Some of the ones that I'd overheard were new members did look a little nervous, but once they got on stage it seemed to melt away as they showed off their bodies and smiled before meeting Master Kinney – or rather his feet. 

"Next, we have Angel – who is back for his second year on the island. Angel has come all the way from Madrid, and is eager to show you just how much of an 'Angel' he can be!" Emmett chuckled. 

I watched as the handsome man with the Spanish accent I'd been talking to earlier went out on stage and shed off his robe. There was a gasp in the audience. He had a beautiful body; toned in all the right places, but not overly muscular. He had a silver nipple ring that glistened in the light. I'd never really thought too much of piercings before, but on Angel it looked really sexy, especially against his cinnamon skin. He had a gorgeous smile with deep dimples in his cheeks. I was sure he got hit on by both women and men daily. 

I was lost in thought and then suddenly totally in shock when I heard Emmett finally announce, "Next, we have Justin, who is another new member! This cutie comes from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and is a photographer and artist with his own business..."

I froze. The guy standing behind me gave me a little push. "Hey, is that you? Go on, get out there!" he told me. Everyone back stage stared at me as I remained still as a statue.

"Oh, Justin! Don't be shy, honey. Come on out," Emmett smiled, gesturing with his hand to come out onto the stage. 

I defiantly wrapped my robe around myself tighter and shook my head no. 

"Hey, it's no big deal. Go on!" another guy urged.

I felt my hands shaking, and I shook my head again. "I can't..."

"Seems, Justin has a little stage fright. Let's see if we can't change that," Emmett said, and walked back over to me. "Come on sweetie, they're all waiting for you!" he said as he covered the microphone with his hand, and then grabbed my hand and dragged me on stage. "Take off your robe, sweetie," he instructed. 

I looked out at all the faces of the men in the audience and saw the hungry look in their eyes. One man with huge muscles and sporting the "bald" look, started licking his lips and smiling.

"I'm sorry... I changed my mind. I don't belong here," I stuttered. 

I looked over and made eye contact with Master Kinney for the first time. He was giving me a curious look, and had one eyebrow raised.

Emmett seemed to be panicking now, his show not going the way it was supposed to, and was helplessly exchanging looks first with some of the staff, and then Master Kinney. 

I continued to just stand there, robe tightly secured, with the music still pumping, but not moving at all to the beat. 

"Take it off, Blondie!" the 'Baldie' yelled out, which ended up being the start of a mantra by practically everyone in the room, as they repeatedly stated, "Take. It. Off! Take. It. Off!" 

"Just do it, you fucking prude!" one of the members back stage yelled. 

I sighed. At this point I was already beyond humiliated as it was. I decided I might as well just give them what they want so I can get it over with and then as soon as humanly possible, get the fuck out of this crazy place.

"All right, fine. You want it off? Here," I yelled in frustration over the music, and untied my robe before pulling it off and letting it slide from my shoulders and onto the floor of the stage. I forced any fear or nervousness that existed to the back of my mind right then, and gave them a little show, dancing and moving my hips to the techno beat. It wasn't the type of music I usually listened to, but at that moment, I didn't really mind it, and once I started dancing around in my leather thong, everyone cheered and clapped. 

My heart was beating fast, and I realized I got a slight rush from my little moment of bravery. 

"Looks like he may be a keeper after all," Emmett stated into his microphone, and I took that as my cue to get off stage. I grabbed my robe and put it back on as I made my way down the steps and red carpet that led to where Master Kinney was seated. 

I didn't lower my eyes. I didn't drop to my knees. We gave each other a hard stare. He had such beautiful, intense hazel eyes that bore into mine. His expression was a mixture of displeasure and amusement.

"Mr. Kinney... " I started to say, and immediately, a sharp look of disapproval crossed his face. "I want to leave," I continued, tying my robe around me in a secure knot.

Mr. Kinney leaned forward as if he were going to tell me a secret. "I don't recall anyone asking what you wanted," he said. He then calmly leaned back into the sofa and took a drag of his clove cigarette and exhaled before adding, "In fact, I don't recall anyone giving you the privilege to speak," he said. 

"Excuse me?" I asked, stunned. 

By this time, I was very much aware that the music had been turned almost all the way down and that everyone's eyes were on us.

"You were given a specific list of instructions before you arrived, and also before you went on stage. I expect all members to respect me and follow those instructions," he said sternly.

"I'm... not a member. I've changed my mind," I argued.

He nodded, and then proceeded to give me a condescending smile. "Let me make one thing clear, Blue Eyes. You asked to be accepted to this island, and now that you're here, you're on my turf, and there are rules here. If you can't follow the simplest of instructions, you'll get nowhere, fast. You want me to hear you out, you'll have to do things my way." 

"I don't know what you mean," I frowned. What did this guy expect me to do? I didn't want to be in this crazy place anymore. These people were freaks. He couldn't really expect me to play along like everyone else was...

He then sat up straight, looked me square in the eye and said, "It means, get the fuck down on your knees." 

I felt my cheeks grow hot. I had never experienced humiliation like this. He expected me to get on my knees and kiss his feet like some little worshiping slave? _Oh, fuck no!_ I thought.

"I'm not playing your game, Mr. Kinney," I told him. 

He shrugged his shoulders. "I explained how things work here. So it's up to you. Either you choose to do this my way, or you're going to make things harder on yourself. The choice is yours," he said. 

_Fuck it_ , I thought. I'd play his stupid little game if it was what I had to do to get myself back home to the land of sanity.

I let my hands drop to my sides in defeat. "Fine," I muttered, and then dropped down to my knees, knelt forward and kissed his bare feet, which I might add, were nice looking feet -- but of course I wouldn't have admitted that to anyone. I looked back up at him, meeting his gaze once again, waiting for him to say something or dismiss me. 

He looked over at the two men in leather who'd pulled him in on the buggy, and waved at them. "Russell. Drake. Take him to room zero. I'll be dealing with him later," he told them. 

I panicked a little as I felt the two big guys each grab one of my arms and escort me out of the tent, as everyone watched. "Where the fuck are you taking me? Let me go!" I shouted, but of course it fell upon deaf ears. What I wanted was irrelevant, I soon realized. 

As soon as I was out of the tent, I heard the music get turned back up again. I guessed the show was back on.


	2. The Day Continues...

  
Author's notes: I had to separate this into another chapter because the first one was too long, so this is the second part to the first chapter.   


* * *

Part 2 of Day 1... 

 

Russell and Drake walked me a ways down the beach until we reached what appeared to be a small hut. They unlocked the door that read "0" in brass on the front. 

"Room zero? Why would you have a room zero?" I asked out loud, more to myself. 

"This is the room that is usually used for isolation or punishment. It literally means you're too low to even be a number; in other words, you're seen as nothing. Usually you have to have done something pretty unruly to be sent here," Drake explained, looking like he was sort of feeling sorry for me. 

I kept quiet, wondering my fate. What was Master Kinney planning to do to me once he arrived?

We went inside, and the first thing I noticed was that the walls were painted black. There wasn't much in the room. A twin size bed that didn't look very comfortable was in the corner, and there were installed rings above it on the wall. I could guess what they were for. There was a locked chest sitting against another wall. A small wooden table and two chairs were in the center of the room. The floors were hardwood. I also noticed a small bathroom. 

"So what now?" I asked.

"Now you wait until Master Kinney has finished hosting the planned festivities for the evening, and comes here to speak with you privately." 

"How long will that take?" I frowned.

"Who knows?" Russell shrugged. "I wouldn't count on it being any time soon."

The two men in leather turned and left, closing the door behind them. I waited a couple of minutes and then immediately checked to see if I could open the door. Expecting the door to be locked, I was surprised when the knob turned easily. I frowned and stared at the knob in confusion, wondering why it would be unlocked. 

I thought about it a moment. The leather twins couldn't have been that careless, could they? They had to know that by leaving the door unlocked that I could walk right out, so that must mean that I actually had a choice of staying or leaving. Nothing or no one was there to stop me. 

Maybe things weren't as they seemed in this place. 

I turned the knob slowly, opened the door and peeked outside. There wasn't a soul around on the beach that I could see. My first rational thought was to walk out and try to find someone I could talk to about getting home – or at least find a fucking telephone. 

"Y _ou want me to hear you out, you'll have to do things my way_."

Mr. Kinney's words suddenly echoed in my mind and suddenly, leaving didn't seem to be the wisest thing to do. Mr. Kinney was the one in charge around here. If I wanted to get things settled, I needed to speak to him. That couldn't be too hard, right? Just have a rational, man-to-man conversation. All I'd have to do was explain to him that I made a mistake in going to the island. Certainly he wouldn't keep me here against my will? 

I sighed and closed the door before turning around and walking across the room to the dinky little twin bed in the corner. I sat down on the bed and noticed how springy it was – and not the comfortable kind of springy. It was one of those beds that felt like the springs could pop up through the mattress at any time. 

I sat there for a while, just thinking, wishing for the life of me that I had my sketch pad. There were all of these fresh images in my mind just waiting to be created on paper. It sure as hell would have passed the time, too. 

After a while of just sitting there, and realizing that Mr. Kinney was probably not coming any time soon, I decided to lay down on the bed. I stared up at the ceiling, which also happened to be black. 

All I could do was wait, so that's what I did. Wait and think about the events of the day. I thought about arriving on the island. I thought about going on stage and dancing in my thong. I thought about meeting Mr. Kinney. Those eyes... God damn, something about those eyes that made it impossible for me to stop staring into them. I thought about him yelling at me to get down on my knees. I thought about him ordering the two men in leather to take me away....

And I got hard. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I'm not sure how many hours I was waiting. I had fallen asleep counting sheep – it was the only thing I could think of to take my mind off my hard-on. 

I immediately woke when I heard the door to the room open, and quickly sat up and rubbed my eyes, feeling a little disoriented. 

"Did you calm down a bit from your nice little nap?" Mr. Kinney was smirking at me, and I tried not to think about how fucking sexy it was. 

"Look, are you going to let me go home or what?" I asked, wanting to just cut to the chase. 

He gestured to the table. "Why don't you have a seat." I hesitantly stood up and walked over to the table and sat down. 

"It's Justin, isn't it?" he asked, taking the seat across from me.

I slightly nodded, as I rubbed my fingers through my hair. 

"Is that a yes?" 

I looked at him oddly. "Yeah."

"You shouldn't nod or shake your head when answering someone. You always want to be firm in your communication. Communication is very important. Especially here." 

Did this guy think he was my therapist? I suppressed my urge to roll my eyes, though it was difficult.

I watched as Mr. Kinney lit a clove cigarette and took his time to exhale its smoke. He looked at me a moment before speaking again. 

"Justin, what made you decide to come here?" 

I crossed my arms across my chest. "A couple of my friends suggested it."

He was staring at me again. It was as if he were trying to see right through me. "And did you know what kind of place this was?" 

I started to nod my answer, but then caught myself. "...Yes."

"And you still filled out an application."

"Yeah."

"And agreed to an interview."

"Yes."

"Why did you do that, Justin?"

"I told you why."

"What made you think that this island would be a good place for you to go?" He looked at me expectantly. 

I looked away and hesitated. "I've... been under a lot of stress," I admitted.

"I see. And you thought that coming here would be like a vacation?" 

I shook my head. "No, I knew it wouldn't be like that. But I guess I just kind of wanted to get away from everything."

He smiled at me. "You could have gone on a regular vacation – but you didn't. You came here. I think that says something, don't you?"

I thought about that for a moment. He was right. Why HAD I decided to come here instead of going on a real vacation? I could have gone to Hawaii, Cancun, Miami... but I didn't. 

"What do you think it means?" I asked. 

He looked at me and shrugged. "I'm not you, Justin. Only you know the real reasons. But it does tell me that you're curious. You want to know what goes on here, and... if you'll like it." 

He took another drag of his cigarette and blew the smoke out the side of his mouth so it wouldn't go into my face. The clove smelled good, and I wished that he'd offer me one. "It's understandable," he continued. "Many people are curious about BDSM, but you know, a lot of them don't have balls to actually try it. Then all that's left is to wonder about it." 

He leaned forward, giving me that intense eye contact once again. "Do you want to be one of those people, Justin? Just always wondering 'what if', when you have the chance right now to experience it here? And on a fucking beautiful island, surrounded by gorgeous men, no less," he added with a short laugh. 

I realized that he had a good point, but I was still scared. Afraid of change. Afraid of the unknown. Afraid of... myself.

"I don't know if I can do it. I'm not a very strong person. I don't do well under pressure," I admitted.

"Justin, it's simple, really. All you have to do, is respect your Superiors, and do what you're told. And it's not just us who benefits from it. You will too. If you give this a chance, you'll eventually see what I mean," he said assuringly. 

I sighed. What he had said was right. I WAS curious about this lifestyle. There had to be a reason why I'd chosen to come to this place. Having someone to dictate my every move and also teach me how to open myself up emotionally and sexually... it sounded like it could be a good way to explore myself and maybe do a bit of soul searching. Even if this lifestyle wasn't for me, I'd probably still come out of it knowing a lot more about myself, just like Jeff had said. At least I would know that I could do it. That I took a risk for once. 

"I'll tell you what, Blue Eyes," he said after a few moments of my weighing my options in my mind. "How about you give it a week. If you still don't want to be here after a week, I'll send you home, no questions asked."

It sounded like too good of a deal to pass up, but I was still hesitant. I was never good at making decisions. 

"Or..." he paused for a moment to take another drag. "I could give you a little taste of what you'll be experiencing, while you're trying to decide," he offered.

"Meaning, what?" I asked, a bit nervous, as to what he was planning to do.

He shook his head and laughed. "Ah, ah, ah, Blue Eyes. Take it or leave it."

God, I hated the way his little nickname for me made my stomach flutter. 

"Okay," I finally agreed after a few moments of contemplation.

"Okay?" he asked with a raised brow.

I gave him a sheepish smile. "Yes. I'll do it." 

"Good," he smiled. "Then take off your robe," he instructed. I gave him a protestant look. I hated that fucking leather thong. 

"But --"

"I'm not asking you, I'm telling you. Take it off," he said in a stern voice. There was something in his tone that made me want to automatically scramble to obey, and I forced myself to ignore the excitement in my stomach.

I removed my robe as he'd asked, and was aware of his eyes all over my body. "And it will stay off unless I say otherwise," he added. 

I stayed silent, and waited to see what he would do next. 

"Follow me," he said. I wanted to ask him where we were going, but I remembered earlier that he hadn't been pleased before when I had spoken to him without permission, so I bit my tongue and followed him out the door. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

 

Mr. Kinney had been silent on the walk over there. We'd walked until we reached a fairly large beach house. I had a pretty good guess that this was where Mr. Kinney stayed while he was here at the island. It was two stories and had tall glass windows. It looked as though there were two units, and it appeared that one could reach the second story by climbing a set of stairs on the outside.

We entered the building, and my eyes went wide in amazement as I looked around the very large living space. It was like a spacious loft; very open. The furniture looked expensive but comfortable. Of course it had all the top of the line utilities that a house or apartment would have. Nice kitchen, complete with a large refrigerator, dishwasher, stove and oven. There was a large liquid television with a monster home theater system. Off to the side was what appeared to be his little office area with a desk and computer.

There was a large glass sliding door close to the kitchen, which led out to a patio that had a view of the ocean.

I noticed a set of closed double doors, which I could only assume led to his bedroom. I was very curious what his bedroom would look like and wished that he'd left the doors open. 

"These are my quarters. Follow me," he said, and led me up a spiral staircase.

The second floor was like being in a different house. Not that I knew very much about the lifestyle, but when I saw the space upstairs, I knew right away that it must be his 'play room'. I observed the room in awe, taking in as much detail as I could.

There were things that both roused my curiosity and frightened me. There were various chains and rings installed in the ceiling and walls. I saw what looked like a cage across the room. There was some kind of leather contraption that hung from the ceiling that reminded me of a hammock.

I noticed a large framed picture on one wall of the room. It was some sort of symbol that was unfamiliar to me, and I wondered what it meant.

A medium sized sliding glass window was open, allowing a nice warm breeze into the room, and as I glanced outside, I could see the beautiful clear, night sky. 

There was a king sized bed, complete with four posts. A large "toy chest" was against one wall, and next to it, was a closet that held various attire, mostly leather, that I could see. There was also a bathroom with a shower stall.

Just as I'd seen downstairs, there was an identical large, glass sliding door with tall, linen drapes, which I guessed led out to a balcony. I couldn't tell since the drapes were obstructing the view.

"Remove your thong," Mr. Kinney said, suddenly breaking me out of my thoughts.

I felt my face heat up as I blushed, and my heart started pounding. 

"Modest, Blue Eyes?" he smirked. "I assure you, that's something that will dissipate with time."

I felt my hands slightly shaking as I went to remove the leather thong. Once it was off though, I had to admit that my ass felt a lot better. I hadn't particularly liked having that thin piece of leather up there all day.

"Good," he said, and took me by the hand and led me across the room, near the opened window. He lifted each of my arms and attached them to chains hanging from the ceiling. He was so fucking close, and I couldn't help but to breath in his scent deeply, making a memory. He smelled of cloves and soap. It was intoxicating.

"Spread your legs," he then instructed. I slightly hesitated but obeyed, and felt him attach cuffs with chains on my ankles. He walked behind me and suddenly my eyes were being covered. I felt him tie the blindfold at the back of my head, not too loose, but tight enough to where I couldn't see a thing. 

"Keep your head forward, and don't say a word," he whispered. "I'm going to leave you to think about your options now." Then to my surprise, he grabbed my cock, which immediately hardened in his hand. 

"Good boy," he said, and then left me alone with my hard-on, and my thoughts.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Fuck, where is he?" I wondered again. It had been quiet for a while. He'd left, but I knew he had come back, and that he was now in the room. I could smell him. That wonderful scent of cloves and soap mixed in with his own unique, indescribable scent, which had been imprinted in my brain ever since he'd put my arms up in those fucking chains. I didn't need my sight to tell me he was near. 

I continued to wait impatiently. 

My ears suddenly perked up, and I almost cried out in relief as I heard footsteps seemingly walking in my direction. I felt my heart beating faster in anticipation, and my breath was caught in my throat as I waited for him to do or say something. I felt warm breath against my left ear, and my body stiffened. He was back, and at that moment I thought I'd never been so glad about anything in my life. 

He set his hands on my shoulders, and my body vibrated at his touch. "So, you've had some time to think," he whispered. 

I remained silent.

"Before we continue, I need your answer," he informed me, and lightly ran his hands down my arms, causing my goosebumps to reappear. "What is your decision? Will you allow me to introduce you to yourself?" he asked softly, his breath tickling my ear and making me shiver. 

I had thought about it. Shit, I had PLENTY of time to think about it, which I think was his incentive as he left me hanging in that spread eagle position for what must have been hours. Yes, I had asked myself what the hell I was doing. My mind was rebelling and I heard a little voice tell me I was nuts for even going as far as I had. It told me to leave this place, and never give it a second thought... only I knew that wasn't going to happen. My curiosity was roused, and I'd come this far... I couldn't just stop without experiencing SOMETHING. For once in my life I wanted to feel as though I were taking a risk. Doing something out of the norm – for ME at least. People had been telling me for years that I should be more open to things; to stop being so uptight, and to quit saying 'no' to everything. 

All of those things ran through my mind at that moment when he expected his answer. He'd already given me a chance to turn back, then he'd offered to give me time to consider my decision. It was too tempting. I was interested in experiencing just a little taste of what I'd be getting myself into if I were to stay. 

So now was the moment of truth. He'd just asked me more or less if I was up to the challenge, and suddenly a rush of excitement spread throughout my body. I'd never been good at making decisions, but now I had made one, and I was sure about it. It was all so titillating; his hot breath dancing on my neck; the thought of doing something so dangerous and bad... I felt my cock harden for the second time that night, and finally nodded my head in response. He had his answer. 

I felt my nipple being pinched and yelped more out of surprise, than pain, though it wasn't exactly painless. "You remember what I told you earlier? Answer with a yes or no," he said firmly, as he held my nipple firmly with his fingers, increasing the pressure and making it ache. I silently cursed myself for forgetting. 

"Yes," I replied, stifling a groan.

"Yes, _what_?" he asked, the raised volume of his voice causing me to slightly flinch. I was grateful for the blindfold now. It was already intense, I didn't want him to see how vulnerable I was. 

He twisted my nipple between his fingers once again, and to my surprise and horror, I felt my dick leak, and a groan escaped my mouth. 

"I'm sorry, I don't --" I stammered, not sure what I had done wrong. I could hardly grasp my mind on anything but his touch and his voice. 

He held my chin firmly with his hand. "You're always to address me as 'Sir' or 'Master'. I am your Master, and you are my slave. You WILL show me respect." 

My cock got harder and though I was scared, I also couldn't help but think how fucking hot he sounded when he used that tone again. 

"Yes, Sir... I'd like to try a week," I correctly answered, silently vowing not to make THAT mistake again. It vaguely occurred to me that I'd been thinking of this man as Mr. Kinney, and that would have to change. In fact, from that point on, I'd made a mental note to start thinking of him as 'Master' and 'Sir', even in my head. I didn't need to make that stupid mistake again. 

"Good boy," he said, his voice now gentler and soothing, and my cock twitched at his praise. 

He released my nipple from his grasp only to replace his warm, wet, tongue and then licked over the sensitive tit. Who knew my nipples could be that sensitive? I hadn't really explored that before. I shuddered as he continued playing with my taut nipple with his mouth. He licked and sucked and finally bit down a little, and unprepared, my body jerked back a little, causing him to laugh lightly.

"Not used to that, eh Blue Eyes? Don't worry, you will." 

I felt his hands at the back of my head untying my blindfold, and then it was pulled off. The cool air hit my face where the blindfold had been, and I blinked a few times. My pupils, which had been in complete darkness for who knows how long, were now fighting to adjust to the dim lighted candlelit room, which he'd must have done while I was blindfolded. My eyes felt dry and tired, as if I'd been in a deep sleep and had been abruptly woken up.

I looked up to see those two intense, beautiful, hazel orbs staring back at me and was suddenly startled by his beauty; the way the candle light danced shadows across his handsome face. He was breathtaking. My fingers twitched, and I longed for my sketch pad at that moment to try to catch his expression on paper. His eyes were one of lust and ownership, and were quite telling. There was no question about it; I belonged to him now. That thought alone both frightened and thrilled me at once. 

He smiled at me. "Welcome to La Isla Erotica." 

He walked behind me, and though I wanted to turn my head to see what he was doing, I resisted and kept faced forward, as he'd instructed earlier. I heard him walking throughout the room behind me and wondered what he was doing. A few moments later he returned and I felt something lightly going up and down my back.

"First things first. You need to give me a safe word," he said softly, his breath at my ear.

Not knowing what the hell a "safe word" was, I blinked in confusion. "I... don't know what that is... Sir." 

"A safe word is for your protection. It lets me know if we're getting beyond the point of how much you can handle. During 'play', words are often part of the fantasy, and saying, 'no', 'don't', and 'stop' are no exception. If you say your safe word, I will know that you need to stop. And I will," he said sternly.

I suddenly felt relieved. I could stop this? Just with one word? I had to admit that made me feel a lot better – safer. I had no idea what to expect, and holding on to the thought that I could stop it all if I wanted to was comforting. 

"Do you understand?" 

I realized I hadn't answered him yet and he was waiting. 

"Yes, Sir. Um..." I wracked my brain, trying to think of a good word to give him, but my mind was coming up empty – not to mention it was awfully distracting to feel whatever it was that was softly being dragged up and down and all around my back. 

_Hmm... stop? What word reminds me of stop?_ I silently asked myself.

"Red," I finally answered.

"Okay. Red it is," he agreed, and then I felt the object get dragged down to my naked ass, making a figure 8 trail horizontally across the cheeks. 

"So I think we should start by acknowledging your behavior earlier," Sir announced.

_Shit,_ I thought, and swallowed hard. 

Sir whispered into my ear as he stood behind me, continuing to drag whatever was in his hand, all around my back. "You know, Justin, you were awfully disrespectful to me and my guests earlier." 

I felt myself tense up, nervous about what he was going to do. 

"But you already know that, don't you?" By his tone I knew he was expecting an answer, so I did.

"Yes, Sir," I whispered. 

He walked around to face me once again, and I saw the object in his hand. It looked like some kind of whip. I'd never seen it before. It was about 18 inches long with a thick handle and long leather strips hanging from it. I figured out quickly that it had been the handle he'd been touching me with a few moments ago. He looked down at the whip and started running his hands over it slowly, as if observing it to see that it was in good working condition. 

My cock twitched again.

"You know you deserve to be punished?" 

I gulped again and then my breath caught in my throat. I had no idea why, but at that moment, the thought of being punished by Master Kinney excited me, and a sense of lust and shame fell over me at once. 

Even though my eyes were lowered, I could feel his intimidating stare, studying my face carefully as if trying to read my thoughts. 

"Yes, Sir," I finally answered, keeping my head and eyes low. 

He then dragged the leather strips along my chest, and a small moan escaped as I shuddered at the tickling sensation.

"I think you want to be punished," His voice sounded lower, more seductive.

I felt my face redden at his statement. "I..."

He disappeared behind me again, and this time without thinking I turned my head.

"Eyes forward!"he commanded, and I immediately turned my head to face front again. Then unexpectedly, I felt his hand on my ass. Skin on skin. My cock throbbed and I gasped at the contact. He started rubbing the globes of my cheeks firmly and then suddenly I felt a stinging slap on the right side. My eyes went wide with surprise as I yelped for the second time that night. 

"You like that?" Sir asked. 

_Yes._ According to my cock I did... but I couldn't bring myself to admit that. 

"N-no, Sir," I lied. 

Another slap, harder this time, but on the left side. I gasped loudly and felt a bead of pre-cum drip down my cock. 

"I think you do. I want you to say it," he said, then slapped my ass again even harder. 

Another groan escaped my mouth, and I thrashed about, my feet and hands pulling at the restraints. I knew he expected me to answer him, but the words wouldn't come out. 

"Tell me," he demanded, his voice raised, and slapped once more, the intensity raising with each hit. My ass was burning, and my body was dripping with sweat.

"I – can't," I gasped.

"The word 'can't' means nothing to me, Justin. Now tell me."

"I..."

"You want me to stop?" Sir asked. 

Slap!

_NO!_ I thought. Please don't stop. 

I had never wanted to touch myself so bad in my life. I knew what he wanted to hear, but my mouth wouldn't cooperate. I took a deep breath, then bit my lip, bracing myself for whatever was next. 

Then suddenly I felt a sting that was so intense tears came to my eyes, and I knew that he'd used that whip he'd been teasing me with earlier. Tears were falling down my cheeks of their own will, yet I heard myself moaning in pleasure.

"I think you like it." He sounded sure. 

"No, Sir, I don't like it!" I sobbed, still in denial, but my dick was obviously making a liar out of me as it leaked profusely.

"Tell me you like it or I'll stop," he threatened.

"Please," I begged, though I wasn't exactly sure what I was begging for. Or maybe I did...

He seemed to be studying my expression, noting my struggle with this admission. He then lightly kissed the back of my neck, and whispered, "It's okay, Justin. Don't fight it. It's okay to like it. You have my permission to like it," he said. "All you have to do is say it." 

He whipped me again.

How could something hurt and feel so fucking good at the same time? I had no idea. I didn't know how much I could take. He wasn't whipping me very hard, but my sensitive skin wasn't used to being marked, and naturally my body wanted to rebel and pull away. 

I could feel the pleasure rush through me as the heat and pain combined into one, and my face flushed. I felt slightly dizzy, and my cock throbbed for release.

I felt the stinging slap of the whip once again, and then... it happened. Something else came through that overrode my pride. Pure _need_.

"Sir!" I exclaimed, breathlessly after the blow.

Master Kinney looked down at my leaking dick and then back up at me and smiled at me. "What do you want to tell me, Blue Eyes?"

"Oh, fuck," I gasped, my breath uneven as if I'd been running a marathon. "Yes," I cried out, tears running down my face. "Yes, Sir, I do like it," I whispered in defeat, feeling my shame increase at my own admission. 

Sir smiled at me then, and affectionately caressed my hair. "Good boy," he said, and I felt that rush again. That pride that went with the praise. 

Suddenly his hand was on my cock, and I swear I'd never felt so relieved in my life. He began jerking me off slowly at first, then increased his rhythm.

My jaw was slack as I closed my eyes, concentrating on the expert hands on my dick. With all the pain and pleasure and emotions running through my body all at once, it was almost too much to take, and I wondered if maybe I wouldn't just explode into a thousand pieces. 

I felt Master Kinney nuzzle his face into my neck and give it a little bite before whispering, "You've been such a good boy. You deserve come. Come for me."

That's all it took, and not but three seconds later I was shooting my pearly white spunk all over his hand and my chest and saw an explosion of colors behind my cold, wet eyelids. 

Almost immediately after, Sir unfastened my hands and feet and took me in his arms and held me. "You did great, Justin. Shhh, it's okay," he whispered as I cried. "Yeah, that's it, let it out," he said, lightly stroking my hair. I took comfort in his arms and continued to softly cry. It felt good, and I never wanted to leave.

When he finally released me, he turned my body around and ran his hands gently over my punished bottom, examining the area thoroughly. 

"Are you in any pain?" he asked.

"Not much, Sir." Mostly, my body felt heavy with a dull ache, but I didn't necessarily feel any harsh pain. Then again... I hadn't actually sat down yet. 

"This will help," I heard him say, as I felt his hand rubbing cream over the punished area of flesh. Immediately, I started to feel a soothing relief. 

"Thank you, Sir." 

He finished applying the cream and turned me to face him again. "That's enough for the night," he whispered. I briefly nodded, but then looked at him questioningly. 

As if knowing what I was thinking, he added, "You'll be sleeping in my quarters tonight." I raised my brows at him curiously, wondering if he was going to fuck me and glanced towards the King size bed. 

"On the floor," he affirmed.

I tried to hide the disappointment in me, and nodded. "Yes, of course, Sir," I answered, and he smiled at me. 

I had assumed I would be sent to bed now, and so I was a bit confused when he told me to follow him back downstairs. He instructed me to take a shower and then I was to meet him in the kitchen where he'd make us a snack. 

When I emerged from the shower, Sir had allowed me to lounge with my towel wrapped around my waist as we ate the the turkey sandwiches he'd prepared for us. There was no conversation as we ate. It wasn't uncomfortable silence; I just had so much on my mind, and frankly, the emotional roller coaster from the day's events had me worn out and not very talkative at the moment. He seemed to know that I needed some space and didn't say much; but made sure to give me small, reassuring smiles once in a while. 

"You need to get some rest now," he told me. "You have a long day ahead tomorrow." 

"Yes, Sir," I answered quietly.

"I laid out a sheet, blanket and pillow on the floor by my bed. That's where you'll be sleeping tonight." There was no question. He didn't ask me, he told me, and that's the way it was. I wondered why I would be sleeping on the floor and not in the bed in the playroom or even on the sofa. I wasn't about to ask though. 

He walked me into the bedroom, took my towel from me, and watched as I got under the blanket naked and lay my head on the pillow. As soon as my ass had touched the hard floor I visibly flinched, feeling the after affects of my punishment. It hadn't really hurt that bad before, but the pain seemed to be settling in now. I wondered if I would always feel this sore after a session.

"It becomes second nature," he said, as if reading my mind. 

I gazed up at his beautiful face, and couldn't help but notice that from the floor he looked about eight feet tall, and the light which illuminated from the other room surrounded him in a soft glow. It was like looking up at the face of God. 

He knelt down and affectionately caressed my face. "You did a great job, tonight, Blue Eyes," he smiled. 

"Thank you, Sir," I replied, and couldn't help but smile back. 

He gave a slight nod, and then walked out of the room, but leaving the door wide open, presumably to keep an eye on me, I guessed. 

I closed my eyes, my head feeling heavy with exhaustion, and probably not surprisingly, I fell asleep almost instantly, the dull ache in my ass a reminder of the small breakthrough I'd achieved that day. I felt better already.

I hadn't remembered a night slept so soundly in a very long time.


	3. Pondering Justin Taylor

  
Author's notes:

Thank you for the patience for the wait on this chapter! I will try to update more often if I can. 

Thank you to those who have supported me while writing this story. You know who you are! ;) 

* * *

 

I stood there for quite a while, just watching the young, blond man sleeping peacefully. It was a very quiet sleep -- the kind where you almost wonder if the person is still breathing. Fortunately, the gentle rise and fall of his back was reassuring, or else I might have been compelled to do something as lesbianic as reaching my hand out in front of his face to feel for his breath. That thought alone made me cringe, being that the worried "mother hen" act is so not my style.  
  
I continued to gaze down at his sleeping form, my eyes scanning over the pale, creamy skin, and longish silky blond hair that fell across his face. So beautiful, irresistibly fresh, and inexperienced. There was so much that I wanted to show him. So much I couldn't wait for him to know and accept and _want_.  
  
I knew that his inner demons were fighting him on everything and telling him that this was all wrong; that he shouldn't be at the Island. But every instinct I had told me that deep down, there was a part of himself that knew that wasn't true. And truth be told, I never would have proceeded had I not felt that way. I would have sent him on a plane back home, just as he'd requested; no questions asked.

But I knew he wanted to be there. Maybe even needed to be there. It was written on his face, heard in his voice, and shown in his mannerisms. I'm never wrong about these things.

The moment my hand came down and slapped his ass the first time, it was confirmed that my instincts had indeed been right. I'd watched him carefully for a reaction. He'd looked so conflicted. His eyes had gone wide with surprise, and his cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Then finally, a look which I immediately recognized as lust, spread across his face. 

It made me want to fuck the shit out of him.

His expression said it all. He didn't want to like it; that much was apparent, and he obviously was having a hard time accepting it. I observed closely with patience, as he dealt with his inner struggle to either give into his true feelings or to continue to deny them, and I could see denial was losing the battle when I noticed the tip of his dick start to leak – even as he insisted that he didn't like what I was doing to him; didn't like my hand punishing his luscious bottom. A bottom that was MADE for this. Made for punishing; made for licking, squeezing, biting and eating, and most definitely made for fucking.  
  
It wasn't too often that we had a new member such as Justin; someone who was fresh into the scene, knew nothing about it, and had so much pain and fear locked up within themselves. He seemed so timid. You could see it in his eyes that he had a lot of emotions he'd been suppressing for who knows how many years, and it was my job to help him to release some of that.  
  
Ben had been right. The kid was fucked up.

3 MONTHS EARLIER...

When Lydia, my secretary had informed me on the intercom that Ben Bruckner was waiting on the line, my brows furrowed in wonder and amusement. "Thanks," I told her, and picked up the receiver. 

"It's been a while, Professor," I said, leaning back in my chair and smiling. 

"Yes, it has. How are you, Brian?" he asked. 

"Still going strong, and still on top... in every way possible," I smirked.

Ben laughed. "No surprise there."

"So, Professor, what can I do for you? Something tells me you didn't call me in the middle of the day to play catch-up," I said, wanting to cut through the bullshit.

Ben laughed again. "Perceptive as always."

"It happens to come in handy in both lines of my work."

"I imagine it does."

"So, what's up?" I urged again, getting annoyed with the small-talk.

"I'm actually calling to talk to you about a guy --"

I chuckled as I cut him off. "Professor, are you asking me for love advice? I'm flattered, but really, I thought you knew better than to ask me about this sort of thing," I smirked. 

I heard Ben chuckle. "No, it's nothing like that. He's just a friend. I've actually been concerned about him, and I wanted to talk to you about what you think about him maybe going to the Island," Ben said. 

I sat up in my chair, definitely intrigued. "Well, that all depends. Tell me a little about him. Is he into the scene?" I asked.

"No... not at all, actually."

"So why would you think he'd want to go to La Isla, then?" 

"Because I think that if he goes there, it may help him to release some of the emotional turmoil he's been suppressing over the years."

I sighed. "Ben, look. I take the admission process very seriously, especially when it comes to new members and people who have never been into the scene and are curious to try it out. That is the whole reason for the extensive interviews and background checks. You know that I can't just let anyone go to La Isla. There is a whole process that needs to be done before I will even consider anyone as a member," I told him. 

"I understand that, Brian, and I'm not suggesting that you just let him in, no questions asked. I would expect and hope that you would do everything you normally do when reviewing new applicants."

I glanced at my watch and frowned. I had a meeting with a client in few minutes. 

"Listen, Ben, sorry to cut you off, but we'll have to talk about this later. I have a meeting to get to," I told him, gathering up some papers and putting them into my briefcase.

"All right. When would be a good time for us to talk some more about this?" 

"Actually, I'm going to be flying into Pittsburgh in a few days for business. Why don't we meet for dinner then and discuss this in person?" I suggested. 

Three days later, Ben and I met at an Italian restaurant near Liberty Avenue. As we ate, we chatted about our jobs and lives and then finally about his friend, Justin Taylor, whom he explained had been going through a rough time. 

"I think now that Dylan has left, he's convinced himself that he's just not worthy of being loved by anyone. It's been one disappointment after another for him over the years, and now it's like he's given up. He's not the same person anymore. He's become more hard, more cynical. He's not excited about anything anymore. The only thing he's still passionate about right now is his work."

Sounded familiar. Too familiar. "When a person doesn't have anything left but their work, it can become a lifeline," I said quietly. I knew all about that.

"I just want him to be happy, that's all. He deserves it," Ben told me.

I nodded. "I can understand that. What you haven't told me yet, though, is what Justin thinks about all of this?"

"Well, actually... he freaked out a little bit. He thought I was insane for even bringing it up."

"Oh, well, it sounds like he'll be a great candidate," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. 

Ben smiled. "Give me a little credit, Brian."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Okay, so what was your brilliant plan?"

"I left Jeff's number with him, in case he changed his mind," Ben said, with a menacing smile.

I laughed. "Why, Professor, I never knew you could be so manipulative."

"I wouldn't go as far as saying that I'm manipulative. I just presented him with an opportunity and left it up to him, is all."

"Right," I smirked. 

"Well, I think it's paying off. He's met with Jeff and they had a nice talk. The last time I spoke with him he seemed to be considering submitting an application."

"Yeah, well, don't get too excited yet. One step at a time. We'll see how the evaluation and interview check out."

"I think he'll do fine. Jeff seems to think so too."

"And how is that hot cousin of yours?" I asked with a smile, and felt my pants tighten a little just thinking of him. Jeff was always a pleasure to have at the Island every year. He was an excellent submissive. 

 

"He's doing good. I was actually planning to meet with him later on tonight at Babylon. Why don't you join us?" 

"I might just do that."

~*~*~*~*~*~ 

To be honest, I hadn't expected Justin to even show up for the interview. From what I'd heard from Ben and Jeff, he'd been awfully hesitant about the whole thing. So when I got the call from Ted saying that Justin's interview had been completed and things seemed to be in order, I was a bit surprised. 

"How did it go?" I'd asked Ted.

"Well, it went. Mr. Taylor seemed very nervous and it was obvious how difficult it was for him to try to be open, especially with a stranger. He was very hesitant and shy."

"Well that's certainly something he'll have to overcome quickly if he ends up being accepted," I said. "So what's your overall prognosis?"

"Honestly? He's gonna be work, boss."

Weeks later, when it came down to deciding which applicants would be accepted to La Isla Erotica, I sat at my desk with Justin's information, application, and photo in my hands, and took my time as I contemplated. I had to admit he was fucking hot, and that was already reason enough to persuade me. I thoroughly watched his interview, paying close attention to his body language and to the way he answered his questions, and the possible meanings behind some of his answers.

Ted was right, the kid was going to be fucking work. But, if Justin was willing to give this all a chance, I was more than willing to try to help him. 

My decision made, I promptly stamped an "APPROVED" on the front of Justin Taylor's application. 

~*~*~*~*~*~

  
As I continued watching my newest sub as he slept, it occurred to me that I could be making a mistake, and that maybe I shouldn't have been so quick to take this case on, myself. Originally, I hadn't planned on it. When I'd gotten the brief back story on Justin Taylor from Ben and Jeff, and had watched his interview, I'd had an idea of how he might react once he reached the Island, and immediately, a few "Superior" staff members came to mind, that I knew would be perfect to train him. However, for some reason, after my first run-in with Justin at the Intro Assembly, I found myself silently volunteering to take on the challenge of training this young man myself. 

I'm a good Dom and Master. I know that. The fact that I absolutely love doing it is a bonus. I'm aware that I have the natural charge and ability to take control, give tremendous pleasure and to protect, and I do my best to make sure everyone involved is satisfied. That is my responsibility. I've always known where to draw the line when it comes to my work. I know how to be a good Master and Dom without letting things get too personal. 

Sure, there had been subs I'd trained who'd tried to get me to cross that line. I would then have to explain to them that I had a rule about not mixing my personal life with my work, period. There was no reason for me to get personally involved with a sub. I wasn't looking for a relationship at all, and I definitely wasn't planning on opening up to anyone on an intimate or emotional level. That was a whole other ballpark, and it would mean that I would have to let down some barriers; to give up some control, which was something that I wasn't willing to do for anyone.   
  
But for some reason, the situation with Justin Taylor seemed different to me, already. I felt the need to take on the responsibility for this young man while he was at the Island. I knew that he wasn't the person he presented himself to be. There was so much more to him. A lot more than I'd bet he, himself didn't even know. And I'd wanted to be the one to bring it to surface and unleash it. I wanted to dig deep inside and help him to release whatever it was that he needed to release. I wanted to help set him free. 

I don't know if he'd realized it or not, but I doubted that he knew what he was in for when he'd decided to come to the Island or that his life would inevitably change. Upon his arrival, it seemed that he'd been clutching at every excuse to stay closed-minded and to continue trying to withdraw into himself. However, when I'd laid the offer on the table back in room "0", his demeanor had already started to change, and I knew I had him. It was as if he were really understanding for the first time, how things worked, and he wanted to know more. It was too tempting for him to just turn away.

I thought back to earlier in the evening, when I saw the young blond practically pushed on stage; and how his skin had flushed with embarrassment as he looked out over the hollering crowd. Then it was as if something inside of him had compelled him to just let go, and he'd shed off his robe and started dancing to the music. It was then that I got my first good look at his ass and was impressed by the movement in his hips as he kept up with the rhythm of the song that was playing on the loud speakers. The audience loved him already and were hooting and whistling at him, which was no surprise. Not only was he beautiful... he was also fresh meat.

When he'd walked over to me, I had a strong urge to laugh at his determined and defiant expression. Of course, had I done that, I knew he'd never take me seriously, so I just kept on my serious face and let him dig himself into a hole. I wasn't going to make things easy for him. He was on my turf, and the simple matter of the fact was: My island, my rules. He couldn't expect that I would tolerate his rude attitude without putting him in his place. Fuck, the look on his face when I told him to get the fuck down on his knees had been priceless. And then, that's when I saw it; shock, embarrassment, fear, humiliation, and... he was turned on! I'm sure he didn't think I would know, but of course I knew. It's my job to know. 

He fucking loved it. 

It was then that I really knew that he needed this, and even more, that he wanted this. Maybe he wasn't willing to admit it to anyone else or to even himself, but I knew he wanted it. So, I gave it to him. 

~*~*~*~*~  
  
I found myself kneeling down and smoothing a piece of his silky hair away from his face as he continued to sleep so soundly. "I can help you, Blue Eyes. I just hope that you'll let me," I whispered softly. I then stood up and left him to his slumber, closing the double doors behind me before going into the next room to sit at my desk.  
  
Opening the bottom desk drawer, I quickly sought out Justin Taylor's file and pulled it out to look through it. Inside, I found Ted's notes from Justin's interview and evaluation, his photo, which was attached to his application, and his questionnaire. Also inside, were his lab results, background check information, and a DVD inside a protected jacket, marked "Justin Taylor's Interview" in black ink. I'd remembered the interview well, but planned on watching it again to refresh my memory of what I was going to be dealing with. 

After looking through the file and reading through Justin's information, I pulled out a blank composition book, and started to log the events that had taken place that evening with Justin, making sure to list all the important details.   
  
This was something all the "Superiors" were told to do with the men they trained. It was a good way to track the trainees' progress, and also to recognize their weaknesses and strengths. Not everything had to be recorded, but any notes, comments or important things about the trainee that should be known to anyone else who trained or played with said member, was to be written in there for everyone's sake, to ensure a smoother, safer, and hopefully more pleasurable transition. 

After I'd finished logging the events of Justin's first night at the Island, I found myself eying the DVD with his interview on it. I sighed and removed the disk from its jacket, and popped it into the DVD drive on my computer. I plugged my headphones in so that I could have the volume up without disturbing Justin.

A nervous looking Justin Taylor soon appeared on the screen, and I felt my cock react. He looked unbelievably hot as he sat there in his casual jeans and button up shirt. 

" _So, Justin Taylor, age 25..."_ I heard Ted's voice ask. 

" _That's right."_ Justin briefly looked into the camera and smiled shyly.

" _It says here that you're a photographer and an artist. You graduated from PIFA? I'm impressed. Here at Kinnetic, we have students from PIFA whom intern for us. It's a very difficult school to get into. You must be very talented."_

" _I've been told."_ The kid was blushing. I knew now that his modesty was not just an act.

" _Okay, Mr. Taylor, I'm going to ask you a series of questions, and even though some of them may be difficult or seem embarrassing, I just want you to answer me as honestly as you can. All right?"_

" _Okay. But please call me Justin."_

" _Of course. So Justin, how did you hear about our resort?"_

" _A friend of a friend has been going to your resort for the last five years."_

" _On your application you marked that you have no previous experience with BD/SM. Why do you think that La Isla Erotica is a place you'd be interested in going to?"_

I watched Justin's unsure expression as he shook his head and stared at his hands. 

" _I'm not sure, exactly. It was recommended to me, and when I spoke to my friend about it, there were some things he said to me, that made me believe that maybe this could be something that would help me to get over some issues I've had."_

" _You mention in here that your last boyfriend left you and that was part of the reason for your decision to submit an application to our resort. Could you tell me a little about that?"_

My ears perked up at that. Justin looked uncomfortable as he hesitated in his answer, and ran his fingers through his hair nervously.

" _Um... I knew it was my fault."_ He looked away guiltily. 

" _You think you could you elaborate?"_

" _My relationship with Dylan had been going downhill for a while before he left. We often fought over the fact that he thinks that I am too uptight. He always said that I wasn't willing to be spontaneous or take chances..."_

He paused.

" _When it came to our sex life he said that I was a good lover but that he wished that I would be more open. I guess I'm not very adventurous,"_ he said, and blushed again. 

" _And in your sexual relationships, would you say that you're mostly dominant, subservient, or both?"_

" _Um..._ _I mean, I'm versatile, but I guess I feel more comfortable being a 'top'. I don't know if that's what you mean..."_

" _Would you say that your personality is more dominant or subservient?"_

Justin shrugged. _"I've never really thought about it. I guess I'm not that great at making decisions, so maybe that would mean that I'm more subservient in that aspect."_

" _Hmm, okay,"_ Ted said, and paused for a moment. _"All right, now for the big questions..."_

I turned the volume up and leaned in closer to the monitor, as if by doing that I wouldn't have a chance in missing anything important. 

Justin sighed and his body seemed to tense up even more, as he waited for Ted to continue with his questioning. 

" _I promise to make this as quick and painless as possible,"_ I heard Ted chuckle. However, Justin didn't look a bit amused. In fact, he looked as if he wanted to run out of the room. 

" _That was just a little joke to try to help you relax, Justin."_

'Theodore and his fucking jokes,' I thought cynically, as I rolled my eyes.

" _Oh... Sorry, I'm just so nervous."_

" _No, don't apologize. I completely understand how this could be nerve wracking for you. If you'd like to take a moment to collect yourself, that would be fine. Just tell me when you're ready to continue. All right?"_

" _No, I'm – I mean, I'm fine. Go ahead."_

" _You're sure?"_

" _Yeah."_

" _All right."_

I watched Justin take a deep breath and give Ted a reassuring smile. 'Fuck,' I thought. 'He has a killer smile, and a gorgeous mouth, and shit, I just want to --'

" _Do you have fantasies, Justin?"_ I heard Ted's voice interrupt my thoughts.

Justin's face went red again, and he smiled a little as he shrugged. _"Doesn't everyone?"_

" _Well, yes, that's true. But you know, it's a very common thing for people not to communicate their sexual wants and needs to their partners, mostly because they're afraid of what others will think of them if they knew what those wants and needs were. It's part of our job to help fulfill your deepest desires and fantasies while you're at the Island."_

" _You expect me to tell you my fantasies?"_

" _Well, yes. We need to know so that we can help create that illusion for you – otherwise, you could end up unsatisfied and it won't work,"_ Ted explained.

Justin suddenly looked into the camera and then back in Ted's direction. 

" _Um, does he have to be here during this part?"_

" _Would it make you feel more comfortable if the cameraman left the room?"_

Justin nodded. _"Yeah."_

" _Steve, if you wouldn't mind, would you please step out of the room and just leave the camera running? In fact, if you'd like, go ahead and take a lunch break. I'll probably be calling you back in here in about a half an hour,"_ Ted's voice said.

" _Sure thing,"_ I heard Steve say, and soon heard a door close.

" _Okay, Justin. It's just us now."_

" _Thanks.... um... Honestly, though, I'm not really sure what to say..."_

" _Okay, then let's start with what some of your fantasies are,"_ Ted suggested.

" _I... don't know if I can do that."_

" _It's not my job to judge, Justin. Trust me; you won't say anything that will shock me, I've heard it all. Also, anything you say on camera is confidential. The only person who will see this interview is Mr. Kinney."_

I'd forgotten how good Ted was at this. Most of the applicants didn't have much trouble opening up about their fantasies. Once in a while we'd get a shy guy, but Ted always had a way of helping them to loosen up a bit. 

I watched Justin relax a little as he nodded, seemingly satisfied with what Ted was telling him. _"I'm not even sure where to start..."_

" _Maybe I can help. What's something that you've never told anyone that you find sexually exciting?"_

Justin sighed and looked at his hands again, and when he spoke again, it was almost a whisper. 

" _I can remember when I was 13, there was this movie that I saw on late night cable..."_

" _Are you talking about soft core porn?"_

" _Yeah."_

" _Okay. Please, go on,"_ Ted urged.

" _So in this movie, this woman had been kidnapped and taken into a cabin in the woods. Her hands had been cuffed behind her, and she was blindfolded some of the time. She wasn't beaten or anything, just a bit manhandled and bound. I remember feeling intrigued."_

" _Why is that?"_

" _The kidnapper was some really hot male actor, and of course it turned out that the bad guy sort of turns into the good guy, and ends up falling for the woman. There was this hot scene between them where it sort of starts off rough and angry, but then it turns into a love scene with passionate, rough, sex. It made me really... hard."_

Justin covered his face and laughed a little into his hands. _"I can't believe I just told you that."_

" _Just relax, Justin. You're doing great,"_ Ted said and then paused, I assumed to make some notes about what Justin was saying. _"So, which parts of the movie really play into your fantasies?"_

" _I guess all of it... I was intrigued by the 'dangerousness' of it, and being bound and held hostage by someone who appeared to be a bad guy, but really wasn't, and to top it off, he was really hot. Then the love scene – I guess it really turned me on to see the dirty, rough sex. I haven't really done that. I mean... not like that."_

My cock was rock hard, as a ton of scenarios formed themselves into my mind. 'Yes, I could definitely help Mr. Taylor with this part,' I thought.

" _So the idea of consensual force is one of your fantasies?"_ Ted asked.

" _I've never really thought about it in that way... you know, put a label on it, but yeah, I guess it is."_

" _Anything else you'd like to share?"_

" _Well, there was this one time a couple of years ago, I was at this bar. I had to use the restroom, and when I went in, I could hear two men in one of the stalls..."_

Justin blushed again, and I had to laugh. It really didn't take much to embarrass him.

" _And what happened?"_

" _I just froze. I wasn't sure what to do. A part of me wanted to run out of there, but... well, I could hear them grunting and moaning and then one of them starting talking..."_

" _Could you hear what he was saying?"_

Justin nodded. _"Yeah... he was talking really dirty."_

" _And how did you react to that?"_

" _I got an erection."_

Shit. _I_ had an erection just listening to his story.

" _You liked listening to them?"_

" _Yeah."_

" _So what did you do, if anything?"_

" _I uh, went into the next stall and started jerking off. I... they heard me, and knew I was in there. At first I was terrified that they would yell at me and call me a pervert. But instead, it seemed to encourage them . The moaning got louder, and then one of them said..."_

" _What? What did he say?"_

I watched Justin lower his head and shake it, as if he couldn't believe he repeating this story. He chuckled a bit nervously. 

" _He said, 'Yeah, that's it. Let him know how much you love being fucked by this cock. Let's make him cum.'"_

" _Did it turn you on to know that they knew you were masturbating to them having sex?"_

" _Yes."_

" _What else turned you on?"_

" _I liked listening to the guy talk. It was so... well, you know, it was hot. I've – well, I'm not really the type to do that during sex. I've never been able to bring myself to talk dirty in the moment. When I heard that guy say all those things, it just – well, I can't explain it. I just had this overwhelming need to touch myself. It was the first and only time I've ever done that sort of thing."_

" _You've never had sex in public?"_

" _No. I don't think I could ever do that."_

'Wrong, Blue Eyes. You can, and you will,' I thought to myself. 

There was a pause in their talking, and Justin let out a breath, as if he'd been holding it in forever.

" _Okay, Justin, you're doing great. I really think we're getting somewhere. Are you all right? Do you need a break or anything? Can I get you some water or coffee?"_ Ted, the ever hospitable host asked.

" _No, thanks, I'm fine. Are we almost finished?"_ Justin asked, almost desperately, though I'm sure he was trying to look neutral about it. 

" _Yes. Just a few more questions."_

" _Okay."_

" _In your opinion, what are some of your strengths and weaknesses?"_

" _I guess my strengths would be that I'm smart, a fast learner, articulate, and a hard worker..."_

I watched Justin run his fingers through his hair again before he continued. 

" _My weaknesses would probably be the fact that I'm not very assertive, or good at communicating my feelings. And as you have probably already figured out, I'm also shy, and can be a bit of a social phobe."_

" _Does it bother you to be around other people?"_

" _Well, it's kind of complicated. It's just... I can't stand people."_

" _You can't stand all people, or just people who may feel the need to judge you?"_

" _I'm not really good at being part of groups. I've always just kind of been my own person and had a few friends that I was close to. I like it that way."_

" _You do realize, that if you're accepted to the Island that you're going to be around a lot of people... and that you will have to interact with them in various ways, whether it be sexually, socially, or physically?"_

" _I understand. But the whole point of this is to try something new, so you know, if I have to do that, then I'll just have to deal with it when or if that happens."_

'Oh, it will happen, Blue Eyes, trust me. You have no idea what's in store for you,' I thought. Then he surprised me with what he said next.

" _One thing I do know, is that if I can do this, I can do anything. I'm going to be forced to face a lot of my fears. I can't think of a better way to do that, than going to the Island."_

So _,_ the kid really had put a lot of thought into this. Maybe he did get it. 

" _Okay. Well, Justin, I think we can stop here. There's a chance we may call you back for a second interview. Either way, expect to hear something from us in the mail within a couple of weeks."_

" _Thanks, Ted."_

" _It was my pleasure. Now, I'll just need for you to go with our cameraman for a few minutes so he can take your photograph..."_

I exited out of the DVD program, and sighed. Yep, Justin Taylor was going to be work, alright. Frankly, I had been a little concerned that he might be in way over his head. He had no idea of the challenges he was to face – especially within the next few days. 

I fixed myself a drink and then went over my notes for the next day's schedule. It was after midnight when I looked at the clock, and I sighed knowing that I needed to get to sleep – I had a long day ahead of me.

 


End file.
